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Installing the PowerConnect Connector

This installation guide describes how to install and configure the PowerConnect connector to load data from IBM Planning Analytics to Microsoft Power BI.

Prerequisites

  • Installation of Power BI Desktop.

  • Access to the Cubewise PowerConnect connector file:

    • CubewisePowerConnect.mez (new version of the connector with breaking changes regarding PowerConnect v1), or

    • CubewisePowerConnect_legacy.mez (new version of the connector with backwards compatibility with v1)

Installation

  • Open your Documents folder and locate a folder called Microsoft Power BI Desktop. If this folder does not exist, create it.

  • Inside the Microsoft Power BI Desktop folder, locate a folder called Custom Connectors. If this folder does not exist, create it.

  • Copy the PowerConnect connector file (CubewisePowerConnect.mez or CubewisePowerConnect_legacy.mez) into the Custom Connectors folder.

  • Power BI Desktop does not always require a restart. The Get Data dialog may simply need to be reopened after placing the file in the Custom Connectors directory. If the connector still does not appear, close and reopen Power BI Desktop completely, as the folder is only scanned at startup.

The full path normally looks like this, where <YourUsername> is your own Windows account name:

note

Tip: Microsoft Store install versus standalone install

The folder name depends on how Power BI Desktop was installed:

  • The Microsoft Store version looks in Documents\Microsoft Power BI Desktop\Custom Connectors.

  • The standalone installer (the downloaded .exe or .msi) looks in Documents\Power BI Desktop\Custom Connectors, without the word "Microsoft".

If you are not sure which one you have, create both folders and place a copy of the .mez file in each.

Tip: Microsoft Store install versus standalone install

The folder name depends on how Power BI Desktop was installed:

  • The Microsoft Store version looks in Documents\Microsoft Power BI Desktop\Custom Connectors.

  • The standalone installer (the downloaded .exe or .msi) looks in Documents\Power BI Desktop\Custom Connectors, without the word "Microsoft".

If you are not sure which one you have, create both folders and place a copy of the .mez file in each.

Troubleshooting: the connector does not appear

If the connector is still not recognized after copying the file, check the following:

  • The file is in the Documents folder Power BI is really using (see the OneDrive tip above), not an old local Documents folder.

  • The folder name matches your install type (Microsoft Power BI Desktop for the Store version, Power BI Desktop for the standalone version).

  • The Data Extensions security setting is enabled, and Power BI Desktop has been fully closed and reopened afterwards.

  • The file is a valid .mez file, not a .zip, a renamed file, or the raw source.

  • After the above, look for the connector in Get Data > More, then search for its name.

Updating the connector

  • If a newer version of the PowerConnect connector is available, replace the existing connector file in the Custom Connectors directory with the new one, then reopen Power BI Desktop.